by C. Gockel
There is a moment of absolute silence, as though all of the hominids are holding their breath. And then, far off in the mist, another man’s silhouette steps toward Thor. In Asgardian he says, “Thor, they are the enemies of the Allfather. We should slay them!”
“That’s Ullr!” Amy says, recognizing the form and voice of the speaker. Ullr is Thor’s adopted son by his ex-wife, Sif. Ullr’s father is unknown, but he looks so much like Thor himself, it is uncanny. Sif and Thor’s marriage had been unhappy, but Thor stayed in the marriage because he loved Sif’s child. Loki’s voice echoes in her mind, “Stupid, noble, sap …” She swallows, and her gut twists.
Thor does not reply to his stepson. Still partially obscured by mist, he bellows in English, “Announce yourselves!”
Amy draws back. Even in simpler, non-magical armor, he’s a tank with two legs.
Valli says, “Hello, Uncle.” She turns her head. Valli is standing, sword raised, and Nari is down on one knee in the snow, rifle aimed. Without lowering the rifle, Nari says, “It’s been a long time.”
Amy blinks. Of course, Nari and Valli were partially raised by Thor when Loki was in prison. But then Thor had betrayed them by almost allowing Odin to execute them.
“Should I shoot, Captain?” says Larson.
“No,” says Steve, lowering his weapon.
Crouching low, Bohdi backs toward Amy and kneels beside her, rifle raised. “So, do you have any ideas?”
“No,” she whispers.
Without turning, Steve says, “Lewis, Patel, stand beside me.” Amy’s eyes slide to Bohdi. He shrugs. Steve rises from the ground, rifle at his side. Amy climbs to her feet and walks over to Steve, and Bohdi does too.
“Hello, Thor,” says Steve, raising his voice and speaking in the tone Amy thinks of as his “politician voice.” Deep and rich, it seems to make the trees throb just like Thor’s hammer had.
Not taking his eyes off Thor, Steve gestures to Bohdi and Amy, and in almost perfect Jotunn says, “I’m sure you remember Bohdi Patel and Doctor Lewis.”
Amy sees one of Thor’s fists tighten on Mjolnir; the other clenches at his side. He steps forward a few paces. Amy’s breath catches, but Thor’s movements are slow … he’s not rushing them. With the mist, it’s hard to see his expression, but Amy thinks he doesn’t look angry—he almost looks sad.
Ullr hastens to stand beside his stepfather. In Asgardian he says, “Gerðr herself has pronounced the humans as enemies of Odin. Valli and Nari conspired against the crown. Why shouldn’t we kill them?”
“What did the Ullr guy say?” whispers Bohdi.
“You shouldn’t kill any of us,” Steve says in Jotunn. Amy blinks. Steve understood that bit in Asgardian? Before she can dwell on it, Steve continues in the language of the Frost Giants. “Because we, like you Ullr, are guests in the lands of the people of the Iron Wood, and it would be rude.”
Shapes emerge from the trees and murmurs rise in Jotunn around them. Amy hears snatches of, “That’s true, bloody Allfather always trying to drag us into his battles,” and, “Ullr would make us dishonor our ancestors.” She sees the silhouettes turn their attention to Ullr and Thor. She thinks she sees a few hands drop to axes. She gapes. How had Steve known what to say?
Holding up his hands, Steve says, “It is true, we are Odin’s enemies. He feels threatened by us, for some strange reason.”
There are a few huffs, and someone says, “Who could be frightened by humans?”
Steve puts his hands to his chest. “He felt so threatened in fact, that like a coward he tried to assassinate me, instead of openly inviting me to combat.”
The murmurs in the trees grow angry. “Is this true?” someone shouts.
Steve’s voice rises, becoming clearer, stronger, and his Jotunn oddly perfect. He raises his arms. “Ask my comrade in arms, Thor Odinson. He will vouch, if not for my words, for my honor.” There is a moment where the only sound Amy hears is a hum … and this time she is sure it is the trees.
Ullr steps forward and shouts in Asgardian. “This is trickery! You are not guests of the Iron Wood. You have some ulterior motive!”
Steve puts his hands back on his chest. “Indeed we do! The noble Princess Gerðr took pity on us during our battle with the World Seed. But she missed her realm, and the only World Gate we knew was the one in the dangerous Southern Wastes. In return for her aid we are escorting her home.”
Amy raises an eyebrow. He’s omitting the bit about escorting her home to deliver human tech to King Utgard. But hey, whatever works.
“Is this true, Gerðr?” someone shouts.
For a moment, Gerðr says nothing. Amy’s breath catches—is she going to reveal the extent of Steve’s little omission? But then the Frost Giantess raises her chin. “Yes, it is true.”
Amy hears murmurs among the Frost Giants, so hushed Amy can’t make them out. And then someone shouts, “Back down, Ullr.” Squinting, she thinks in the distance she sees more forms emerge from the trees, but it’s hard to tell.
Thor lifts his visor and then takes off his helmet. For a moment, he stands stock still. Steve taps his radio. “All lower your weapons.”
From where they kneel and lay on the ground, Amy sees a few faces look up warily at Steve. But everyone puts their rifles down or sits up if they’re lying on the ground looking through their sights.
Thor gives a weary little smile and says in English, “Well met, Captain Rogerson.”
Turning to the forest, he raises his hammer and says in English, “For the Asgardians in my party, know this! Captain Rogerson was my comrade in arms during the battle with the World Seed. He is honorable! His companions, Bohdi, son of Patel, and Doctor Lewis, helped me in my journey to the Land of the Norns. You will find no warriors more cunning than the son of Patel, and his lady love Doctor Lewis … is … is ...”
The big man takes in a long breath. Amy feels her skin heat. Not at the mention of her being Bohdi’s “lady love,” but at Thor’s apparent inability to find something nice to say about her.
Clearing his throat, Thor says, “Dr. Lewis is extremely brave.” Shaking his hammer he says, “No matter what wars exist between our people, while we are on neutral ground, none shall confront Rogers, Patel, Lewis or their companions.”
Amy hears Steve release a breath. He puts a hand over his mouth, and from where she stands beside him Amy can just make out his expression. He’s wearing a devilish smirk. His eyes slide to hers and her breath catches. Normally Steve’s eyes are a brown so dark they’re nearly black … but now they are deep blue, almost purple. She blinks. And then his eyes are their usual brown-black. He drops his hand and his brow furrows. “Dr. Lewis, I feel so hungry I might faint.” He takes a deep breath. Amy hesitates, she wants to help, but you don’t touch Steve.
“Dad!” says Claire. She runs over to Steve and grabs one of his hands and swings it over her shoulder. It looks like Steve is just giving his daughter a one-armed hug, but Amy sees him leaning on her. Claire’s body doesn’t bow or bend.
“When did you get so strong?” Steve whispers.
Claire just beams.
x x x x
After Thor makes his proclamation, there is a tense moment where no one moves. Bohdi doesn’t think he can even breathe. He reaches for Amy’s hand. Hey, he’s just staying in character, also he’d like to be ready to run … But she’s left his side. She’s moved over to Steve and Claire. He hears her whisper, “I’ll get food.” Steve nods, and Amy disappears into the tent.
Bohdi hears the sound of snow crunching. Forms emerge from the misty forest. Four men decked out in full Asgardian armor move to stand beside Thor. Their skin is gold like Sigyn’s and Thor’s, and their hair color ranges from dark blonde to light brown. Another six men and three women wearing leather and furs fan out around the SEAL team. Bohdi thinks they must be Frost Giants. They have skin like porcelain, and except for one older woman, they all have light blonde hair and blue eyes. The men are about Bohdi’s size, the women are j
ust a few inches shorter. One Frost Giantess is taller than the other women, her armor fits her better, and he sees accents of gold on it. Where the others approach the humans cautiously, she walks with confidence. Her cheeks are rosy with cold, and she’s smiling right at Bohdi. It’s a nice open smile. Two men trail behind her. Bohdi blinks—the men are spitting images of the woman and also of Thor. They’re smiling at Bohdi, too.
“I’m so glad we avoided a squabble, Thor,” the woman says, putting a hand on Thor’s arm. Bohdi feels no lie. “So this is Bohdi Patelson, Father?” asks one of the Frost Giant men. The other Frost Giant turns his eyes from Bohdi, opens his arms wide, and shouts, “Nari! Valli! Brothers, come here!”
The Frost Giant Thor look-alike throws out a hand in Bohdi’s direction. “It’s so wonderful to meet you. I’m so glad we didn’t have to fight! Perhaps someday you and I will have adventures, too?”
Bohdi feels no lie, but he stares down at the hand suspiciously. So much goodwill ... for him? He narrows his eyes at Thor. “Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be fighting Fire Giants in Musselpheim?”
Thor raises an eyebrow, and then he laughs and slaps a hand on Bohdi’s shoulder, making him nearly fall to one knee. “Always so cranky!”
Bohdi scowls. He has the distinct impression that Thor isn’t talking about him. Thor reaches up and ruffles Bohdi’s hair; he hadn’t put on a helmet. Thor’s hand pauses for just a moment, and his smile drops. And then to the man still holding out his hand, he says, “Bohdi is from the Indian subcontinent of Midgard. They do not greet with a handshake.”
Bohdi stifles a sneeze. He looks up at Thor. Handshakes are common enough in India, and he’s not really from India anymore, anyway ...
“Oh,” says the man. He bobs his head. “Sorry!”
Bohdi’s brow furrows.
Thumping Bohdi’s shoulder again, Thor says, “I think you have a lot to tell me.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees one of the Frost Giants pull his hand away from Larson’s. Holding up his own hand, the Frost Giant exclaims in Jotunn, “I didn’t know humans had magic!”
“What did he say?” Larson says to Gerðr.
Bohdi looks back to Thor, and he puts it all together. Humans have magic now. Bohdi’s magic is still weak, but a touch will give away his identity to anyone who knew Loki. He gives Thor a grudging smile. Thor lifts his brows and then turns back to the woman and the man who must be a son. “This, Bohdi, is my son Magi; with Nari and Valli is my other son Modi.” Thor brings the hand of the blonde woman to his lips. “And this is their mother, Queen Jarnsaxa from east of the Iron Wood. I come here every winter to hunt with them.” Thor gives a thin smile. “As for being excused from the front … My father still hunts for Loki. He himself is in Musselpheim keeping an eye out for him there. He wished for me to come here …” A wry smile comes to his lips. “For some strange reason Loki’s incarnations have a tendency to turn up in the wilds of the Jotunheim and Musselpheim lands.”
Bohdi blinks at his words—so much for being unpredictable.
“I thought Loki was dead,” snaps Larson.
“Indeed he is,” says Thor. “His spirit lives now in a new host.” He bows his head. “However, for centuries he was Loki to me, and so I call him Loki still. Old habits die hard.”
Bohdi rubs the back of his neck. Larson’s eyes are focused with laser-like intensity on Odin’s son. Steve is hanging back, beyond the lieutenant. He meets Bohdi’s gaze for just an instant.
“What does Odin want with Loki?” asks Tucker, the wide-eyed kid from Kansas.
“To kill him for real?” Rush suggests.
Thor’s nostrils flare, and he glares at Rush. “No, he wishes to make amends. He wants the new Loki to come home and serve by his side once more.” Thor’s eyes drop to the ground. “I am to tell him so, should I find him.”
Bohdi’s hands tighten on his rifle. He thinks of Ruger with the blood blooming in his abdomen. He thinks of Brill’s pulse disappearing beneath his fingers. He thinks of Odin reaching toward Amy, looking at her like she was some sort of pretty insect. He can’t help it, he snorts.
You never know how loud a party is until all the noise stops. All murmurs among the Asgardians, Jotunn, and humans cease. One of the Asgardians says, “You would scoff at such an honor?”
Bohdi blinks, and then he grins. His lighter is in his hand without him realizing how it got there. “I would never accept that honor. I’ve been to Asgard. They don’t have video games.” A flame dances at the end of his thumb.
A few of the SEALs chuckle. Thor rolls his eyes. Amy is pressing her hand to her mouth to hide a smile, and Steve is smiling outright. To the group at large, Steve says in Jotunn, “We’re about to have breakfast. Care to join us?”
Bohdi licks his lips. Now that the initial fear has passed, hunger is hitting his stomach like a punch to the gut. There are nods all around. A couple of guys hustle into the tent and come out a few moments later with hunks of meat they’ve packed in empty ammo boxes. As their guests cautiously approach, Steve takes a piece of lion meat from Amy’s hands, smiles and says, “We have plenty of lion to go around.”
The Asgardians and Frost Giants draw back. One of the Frost Giants says, “We feed this meat to our dogs!”
Bohdi’s too hungry to care about the implications of that. He grabs his portion when Berry passes it out and rips off the biggest piece he can manage.
Chewing his own share, Steve raises an eyebrow, swallows and slowly licks his lips. Smiling at the Asgardians, he tilts his head. “Really? We think that by eating lion meat we consume the spirit of the animal.” He shrugs. “Oh, well, we’re only weak humans. What would we know?”
Bohdi doesn’t spit out his food, but it’s a near call. Park starts to choke. Tucker says, “What are they talking about?” Thor snorts. Hand on his hammer, his eyes drop to the lion. “We’ve been tracking this lion for days … may I ask who brought down the beast?”
“I did,” says Beatrice.
There are murmurs from the Frost Giants and Asgardians. They clear out of the way as Beatrice walks by, taking a little bit of the lion over to Gerðr and Larson.
Smacking his lips, Steve raises his eyebrows, looking for all the world like he couldn’t be more surprised. “Your grandmothers don’t hunt lions?”
The looks of fear and apprehension on the Asgardian and Frost Giant faces are beautiful. Biting back a laugh, Bohdi turns to Steve and says in Jotunn, “It must be because they don’t eat the lions.”
Park grins and chuckles.
“Someone translate, please!” Larson says. Gerðr, leans over and begins whispering in his ear, and he smiles. A Frost Giantess standing beside Jarnsaxa steps forward. She has bright blue eyes and black hair streaked with gray. She looks familiar for some reason. She nods at Sigyn and then to Steve. In flawless English she says, “I am Heiðr Gullveigsdottir. Your ways are strange, humans. But you are mighty warriors and are welcome to be our guests at Gullveig’s Keep until springtime, at least.” She shoots a dark look at Ullr and then lifts her chin and gives the same pronouncement in Jotunn. At her words, at least three dozen more Frost Giants emerge from the mist.
A man with a beard raises an axe and shouts, “Humans come to Jotunheim! Mountains are falling! Yeti are crying! Ragnarok is upon us!” Whooping and laughing, the Frost Giants flood among the team, slapping backs, shaking hands, and bumping foreheads. One looks like he’s going to bump Bohdi’s forehead, but Thor drapes a protective arm over Bohdi’s shoulder, and the man draws back and just punches him in the shoulder.
“Thanks,” says Bohdi, taking another bite from the meat he’s eating. He thinks it might be a finger-paw-bone-bit; it’s as large as a drumstick, disgusting but fatty. He looks up at Thor. “Errr … Sure you don’t want some lion?”
Thor raises an eyebrow. “Thank you, no.”
Bohdi shrugs and takes another bite as a party erupts around them. Nari and Valli are talking animatedly with Magi and Modi. Ber
ry is showing some curious Frost Giants a rifle. Park has a girl draping an arm around his shoulder. Rush is swinging a guy’s axe. Off to one side, Bohdi hears Harding say, “You can rock me, Ragnar.” Bohdi’s eyes go to where she is talking to the blonde Viking who just declared Ragnarok.
Taking her hand and kissing it, he says in English, “My name is Ralf, not Ragnar. Ragnar is my brother, tiny shield maiden. You are welcome to be both our guests at the feast tonight.” Harding grins and bites her lip. Bohdi blinks and then realizes a few of the Frost Giantesses are standing a few feet away, smiling at him, and eyeing him from head to toe.
He can’t help it, he smiles and winks out of habit … and then winces and crumples at the knees as Thor pinches his ear. The girls gasp and scuttle away before Thor lets go. As soon as he does, Bohdi glares up at him. The big man glares right back. Rubbing his ear, Bohdi grumbles, “It’s going to be a long winter.”
“Nay, it will be short, and the spring will be bloody,” Thor says, his voice like far off thunder.
Before Bohdi can ask what Thor means, the big guy smiles, winks and says, “You’re welcome.”
“For what?”
And suddenly Amy is next to him, bouncing on her feet, eyes wide. “They know a pass through the triple peaks! We won’t have to go around. We’ll be at Gullveig’s Keep tonight! We’ll have a bath with hot water!”
Her eyes get all sparkly and faraway. “And there is central heating, and down-filled beds, and the castle and trees are molded together as one …”
She goes on to excitedly describe the Keep, but his brain is kind of stuck at, “We’ll have a bath.” It reminds Bohdi of a dream he had featuring her … and it brings a smile to his face, even if he knows we isn’t precisely what she meant.
x x x x
